2025 Giro d'Italia Stage 5 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 5 of the 2025 Giro d'Italia! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
Stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia takes the peloton from Ceglie Messapica to Matera. The 145-kilometre route is largely flat, but a punchy hill looms with around 30 kilometres remaining, and the terrain stays challenging afterwards. Is the finale tough enough to thwart a mass sprint?
Like most towns in Italy, Ceglie Messapica boasts a rich history. It dates back to 700 BC with the arrival of Greek settlers. While the town’s past is impressive, its connection to the Giro remains a blank slate.
From the historic town centre, the riders set off in a westerly direction. After passing through Massafra, they turn towards the coast. For over 50 kilometres, the route is pancake flat, but near Metaponto, as they leave the coast, the terrain becomes more undulating. With just over 30 kilometres remaining, the riders face the ascent to Montescaglioso. This picturesque town, perched on a hilltop, has welcomed the Giro peloton four times before. To reach it, the riders tackle a 2.8-kilometre climb at 8.6%.
Although the only KOM points are available in Montescaglioso, the route isn’t entirely flat thereafter. Shortly after the descent, the riders enter a 7.1-kilometre uphill stretch at 3.5% to Castello Tramontano. Even in Matera, the finishing venue, the road rises for 700 metres at 7.9%. This final uphill stretch peaks just 1.7 kilometres before the line.
That said, previous finishes in Matera have favoured the sprinters. Mario Cipollini claimed victory here twice (1998 and 2000), while Fabio Baldato (2003), John Degenkolb (2013), and Arnaud Démare (2020) also added their names to the winners’ list.
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